Fuel Cell Malarky [Split Post]

KCross

I thought this fuel cell malarky was almost dead!

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/japanese-car-giants-support-pollution-free-fuel-cell-push-790356.html


Is this Toyota pushing its own govt to support fuel cell because it has invested so much in it that its unwilling to walk away?

Interested to see that Nissan is mentioned in the article. Is that a typo by the editor?

zilog_jones

The Japanese government had already invested significantly in hydrogen. Some info here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_highway_(Japan)

Nissan have been on the list of FCV "supporters" since 2011, and have made some things but nothing on any scale:

http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/ENVIRONMENT/CAR/FUEL_BATTERY/DEVELOPMENT/FCV/

Both Toyota and Honda have FCV vehicles in production.

The powers that be want everyone dependent on an energy that can be taxed and that can also keep the fossil fuel industry making billions.

A Battery car is more powerful and can run on very cheap electricity. Range to exceed 300 Kms in the next year or two.

Hydrogen may find some commercial use where batteries would otherwise need to be massive but these would be better off on Gas until they can make hydrogen from clean sources but for battery cars, all the energy needed to make hydrogen could instead be used to charge electric cars.

zilog_jones

Honda and Iwatani have been developing these "zero emissions" small-scale smart hydrogen stations:

http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/HydrogenStation/

Interesting concept, but I think the amount of hydrogen they actually generate is quite low - like one station makes barely enough for four cars, or something minuscule.

https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/19/toyota-is-testing-a-hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered-semi/

I can see hydrogen work for HGV's, 200 miles , I've no idea how many Kms a lorry can travel or how much weight it can haul so i'm unable to make a comparison but no doubt it would be good for a lot of applications.

Just build some Thorium, MSR reactors and you got an almost infinite amount of energy to produce hydrogen and electricity for heating homes and charging electric cars.

Water John

Yeah, this type of baby, will be the way to go. sMSR is only 400Mw and can be built in 4 years.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2017/04/26/canada-aims-for-a-fleet-of-small-modular-nukes/#6ffaa43230a8

Good to see someone taking a very sensible approach to Nuclear energy and a very safe Nuclear technology too.

Sad that we can't do the same. If only we had politicians that were more interested in the greater good of the country than their own pensions. Serve their time with minimal activity then collect pension and continue to work !